imitating All?h’s ( - عز وجل -) creation, and the idea of worshipping idols’. (1)
(2) The prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) refusal to enter the Ka‘bah till all the pictures [and statues] in it were effaced [and destroyed].
J?bir ( - رضي الله عنه -) related that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) ordered ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khatt?b ( - رضي الله عنه -) - when Makkah was seized by Muslims - to efface all the pictures that were drawn on the walls of the Ka‘bah. Having been sure this was done, the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) entered it’. (2)
(3) Many times the Sah?bah performed Sal?t inside churches that were empty of pictures:
‘Umar addressed [the Nas?r? (the Christians)] saying ‘We do not enter your churches only because of the pictures drawn inside them’. (3)
Ibn ‘Abb?s used -sometimes- to pray in the church that was free from pictures. (4)
The word “pictures”in the aforementioned narrations means pictures of living creatures [humans or animals].
Ibn Al-Qayyim said: ‘The [forbidden] pictures are those of living creatures [humans or animals] - whether they are in the form of statues, engraved, drawn on walls or embroidered on clothes or beddings’. (5)
(1) “Sharh Sah?h Muslim” by An-Nawaw? (vol. 14 / p. 84).
(2) Narrated by Ab? D?w?d in his “Sunnan” (no. 4156) and Al-Baihaq? in “As-Sunan Al-Kubr?” (vol. 7 / p. 268) . Refer to “Majm ‘Az-Zaw?’id “ (vol. 5 / pp. 172 - 4) for more narrations.
(3) Narrated by Al-Bukh?r? in his “Sah?h” (vol. 1 / p. 531) as a Mu‘allaq but was connected by Abdir Razz?q in his “Musannaf “(no. 1611) and Al-Bukh?r? narrated it also in “Al-Adab Al-Mufrad” (no. 1248).
(4) Narrated by Al-Bukh?r? in his “Sah?h” (vol. 1 / p. 531) as a Mu‘allaq but was connected by Abdir Razz?q in his “Musannaf” (no. 1608), Al-Baghaw? in “Al-Ja ‘diyy?t” and in his compilation of ‘Ubaidill?h’s Al-‘Aishy narrations as is mentioned in “Taghl?q At-Ta‘l?q” (vol. 2 / p. 233), Al-Fatih (vol. 1 / p. 532) and ‘Umdat Al-Q?r? (vol. 4 / p. 4).
(5) “At-Tahth?b ‘Al? Sunnan Ab? D?w?d” (vol. 6 / p. 78).